Round The World
New Delhi, 30
March 2011
India-Pakistan
Talks
PUSH ON
BUILDING CONFIDENCE
By
Monish Tourangbam
Research
Scholar, School of International Studies (JNU)
Irrespective
of the result of the Indo-Pakistan World Cup semi final clash at Mohali and
regardless of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf
Raza Gilani’s conversations during and post the match, the stalled
India-Pakistan talks have resumed with a positive note.
Amidst
the usual jingoism and over-blown patriotism associated with any India-Pakistan
match, along-with the sweeping symbolism of what has been termed as “cricket
diplomacy”, a more hardcore political meeting took place during the
India-Pakistan Home/Interior Secretary level talks in New
Delhi led by India’s
Home Secretary Gopal Pillai and Pakistan’s
Interior Secretary Qamar Zaman Chaudhary.
Undoubtedly,
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh scored some symbolic brownie points by inviting
his Pakistani counterpart to watch the cricket match, but it was really
important for the Home Secretaries’ level talks to take-off on an enthusiastic
note and it actually did. The successful conclusion of the meeting cements the
kind of enthusiasm that was exuded in Thimpu earlier this year when the Foreign
Secretary Nirupama Rao met her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir on the
sidelines of the Standing Committee meeting of the South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
The
recent meeting should come as a breath of fresh air given the not-so healthy
Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Islamabad July
last and the diplomatic spat between the two neighbours that continued later in
the year at the UN over the Jammu and
Kashmir issue. Clearly, the ugly shadows of the 26/11
attacks have loomed large over any chances of a thaw in India-Pakistan
relations and justifiably so.
The
wounds of the attacks are still fresh in Indian psyche and the intransigence of
the Pakistani Government so far in prosecuting and punishing those responsible
for the heinous attacks have been the game-spoiler. But the recent talks have
produced some evidence that maybe things might brighten up in the near future
and probably, the Pakistani Government is ready for a handshake, if not for an
embrace.
It
is hard to be optimistic when it comes to the question of India-Pakistan talks
because many a time, the complexity of the issues involved, the sentimentality
attached to them and the vested interests of some sections of the Pakistani Establishment
in sustaining India as its No.1 enemy have more than often killed chances of
any major breakthrough or have jeopardized them if there were any chances
either.
However,
this time around, it will be a good confidence building measure from both sides
to be a little optimistic and expect something good out of what has been
delivered by the recent meeting.
With
an eye towards preventing any misunderstanding between the two Governments
regarding the issue of terrorist threats, and as an effort towards putting some
meat into the two country’s counter-terrorism cooperation, both sides decided
to set up a hotline between the Indian Home Secretary and Pakistan’s Interior
Secretary to facilitate real time information sharing with respect to terrorist
threats.
Clearly,
the issue of the Mumbai attacks is not a one-time isolated case of terrorist attacks
for India.
Terror attacks planned and hatched across the border have tormented Indian security
for years and put insecurity and fear in the minds of the people. Hence, there
can be no better confidence building measure from the Pakistani side than to
try and close the “trust gap” that exist between the two countries when it come
to the question of the Pakistan Government’s resolve in fighting India-centric
terrorism.
Besides,
the talks have shown some positive energy on some major issues, including the
26/11 case and one needs to wait and watch as to how they are implemented. During
the meeting, the Pakistani side was reported to have provided updates on the on-going
trial and investigation in Pakistan
on the Mumbai terror attacks. According to sources, Islamabad
has conveyed its readiness, in principle, based upon the principle of comity
and reciprocity, to entertain a Commission from India with respect to the Mumbai terror
attacks investigations.
The
modalities and composition in this connection will be worked out through
diplomatic channels. Dates for the visit of the Judicial Commission from Islamabad in connection with Mumbai attack trial will be
conveyed by New Delhi
very soon. Moreover, India’s
National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Pakistan’s Federal Investigation
Agency (FIA) will continue to cooperate.
Recently,
Islamabad has been found raising the decibels against New Delhi regarding the
Samjhauta Express blast probe in a sort of tit-for-tat case. Earlier this year,
in a rebuttal to Pakistan’s accusation that India was dilly-dallying in the
case, Secretary Rao bluntly stated, “We have already said an investigation is
going on in the Samjhauta blasts... It was an act of terrorism, there is no
doubt about it, and when we are ready to share evidence with Pakistan, we will
do it.”
Accordingly,
during the course of the recent meeting, India provided information on the
on-going Samjhauta Express blast case investigation. It was also agreed that
after filing of report in the court, updated information would be shared with
the concerned Pakistani authorities.
Other
than the highly circulated news of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari signing
an order releasing Indian convict Gopal Das, arrested on charges of spying and
in Kot Lakhpat jail for the last 27 years, some important steps were taken
towards the institutionalization of ways and means to deal with inadvertent
crossers in a more humanitarian way.
Accordingly,
both sides also agreed to task India’s Coast Guard and Pakistan’s Maritime
Security Agency to work on setting up a mechanism for release of inadvertent
crossers (fishermen) and their boats on the same lines as the unintentional
crossers on land.
An
agreement was reached to release by April 15, 2011 those prisoners/fishermen
who have completed their sentence, whose nationality status has been confirmed
by the respective Governments and whose travel documents have been received. The
Judicial Committee on Prisoners was commended for the release, repatriation and
humane treatment of prisoners and the need for its continuation was emphasized.
Moreover,
mutual concerns and need for cooperation were expressed towards the issues of
drug trafficking, human trafficking, counterfeit currency, cyber crimes and Red
Corner Notices (RCNs) and towards examining the modalities for streamlining the
visa procedure and giving a final shape to revision of the Bilateral Visa
Agreement.
As
the cricket fever settles down and the impact of the grand symbolism remain
etched as beautiful memories of warm handshakes, and friendly embraces, the vital
issues of national security need to be worked
out and that is where the real, practical picture will emerge.
Many
a time in India-Pakistan relations, instances that looked like major
opportunities of bringing peace have fizzled out as mere instances of illusions
and temporary infatuation. It has become almost a cliché to say that there are
no permanent friends and no permanent enemies in international relations. But
all clichés have some amount of truth in them. Hence, the hope is that the same
is true in case of India-Pakistan relations and that a time may come in the
future when we finally say, “once we were enemies!” ---INFA
(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)
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